XIII
by maohime
Summary: She always lived a boring, lonely life until moving to her new beginning. Even though she didn't expect much moving to such a small part of the province, she'd find more than expected in the peaceful Inaba. May contain OOC and such. P4: Tohru Adachi x OC - Narukami Yu x OC - Satonaka Chie x Yosuke - Izanagi x Izanami.
1. Prologue

**Synopsis:** She always lived a boring, lonely life until moving to her new beginning. Even though she didn't expect much moving to such a small part of the province, she'd find more than expected in the peaceful Inaba.  
><strong>Rated:<strong> T (for now ~)  
><strong>Author Note:<strong> This fanfiction is based on P4's events timeline, though I'll change many things, inserting my OC. Hence: English isn't my first language, so please bare with me with all the grammar errors~!

_"Nobody notices... They can't understand a thing.."_

"Stop it right now! You.. You're not..!"

"Saionji! Don't say it!" Yosuke yelled and ran after the other me, but Narukami stopped him as he saw what was coming.

_"Someone, please... Save me"_

1 Month Ago:

**May's 13rd, 2011.**

I have always been the type who can't make friends easily. In fact, I couldn't make friends at all; unless someone was completely willing to overcome my barriers. But I never cared about that, judging that in my life, only a small, necessary number of people would be more than enough.  
>My family owned a traditional Ikebana house, which was decently popular even around our province. So I grew up surrounded by the ladies-in-waiting, students, and the arrangement flowers. You could say that by growing up with many people around you is a nice way to develop your social skills; Though, for me, it wasn't it.<br>I was currently 16, in the beginning of my second year of High School. Being part of the student council group, I was able to make one friend, which I deeply cared for and appreciated. She was in my class during my two years in that school, and her name was Ai.

"Ai-san! Wait for me!"

I rushed after her as the final bell rang. Ai-san was a nice colleague. She could be harsh sometimes, but she was a nice person.

"Hey dummy, if you don't walk faster, we'll lose the train" She laughed at me. We both giggled and started walking together to the station. We talked about various things, and after that, parted to take different trains.

As I got home, surprisingly, my parents, who were always busy because of the flowers arrangements school greeted me. They told me to sit and wait for them in the living room, and by then I knew that something was off.  
>I did as I was told, and soon my mother arrived.<br>"Anna, honey..." She started. She had a puzzled expression. "You know our family's business always are keeping us away from home, right?"  
>I nodded yes. <em>'Thank you mom, for stating the obvious'<em> I thought, rolling my eyes. Then she continued, casually pouring the tea into one of the small cups.  
>"Well.. We talked to your grandmother" she made a brief pause ''Your father also agrees with me that it isn't good for you to be always by yourself.."<br>I knew where she was getting at, and I didn't want to hear anything else.  
>"We have decided you will be going to live with your grandmother.. Like that you'll receive the necessary education and..."<p>

Obviously, I was speechless. Seeing my astonished expression, my mother just carried on her speech about how I had to learn the art of flowers arrangements to one day take over our Ikebana business and keep the honor of the Saionji family. After a couple minutes, my father walked in the room, saying tomorrow would be my last day at my school, and the day after I would be moving to Inaba.

"*Gasp* Inaba..!"

Both of them looked at me, surprised at my reaction. I knew that our city wasn't a big deal but.. Inaba! It was the end of the world.  
>"Anna, your mother and I already made up our minds and settled everything down. Do not make a fuss over something so simple" My father replied sharply, and all I did was nod again, with no arguments.<p>

After a good hour of my parents' lecture, I finally went back to my bedroom. I looked around, and sighed; I should start packing, though all I wish to do was lay in my bed and pretend it never happened. I was actually in the half way of doing it, though I just went to my closet and got the bags.  
>While I was packing my stuff, I was able to distract myself from my awful thoughts. It's not that I was scared. 'Well, I could be.' my inner voice whispered. Eh, maybe I was but.. It was always like that when changing schools. I was just disappointed to leave my little accomplishments behind and start a brand new life.<br>After finishing packing everything I'd need for the next days, I took a quick shower and went to bed. I felt exhausted, even though I didn't really do much.

"Inaba, huh..." I muttered, staring at the ceiling. My thoughts were as heavy as my eyes, and even with such troubled feelings, I fell asleep.

Little did I know, that Inaba had more for me than I was expecting...


	2. Chapter 1 - A Brand New Life

**Author Note:** It feels boring to write introductions, so I hope I did a decent job with this one. ^ ^'

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><p>The next morning, my parents were acting like nothing happened. Of course their plans were still up, and today would be the day to say farewell to Nakahara High. That thought brought a light pain to my chest, which I decided to ignore.<p>

"It's not like I've never experienced this... People come and go, that's a fact." I whispered to myself as I arrived in my class, but soon our home room teacher called me. I just had to go all through those silly goodbyes high schoolers insist on keep doing every time a student is going to transfer to another school. Ai-san's expression was perplex; I could say that for the first time I actually saw that though girl being disappointed. When I walked back to my seat, she looked at me with her usual annoyed expression.

"Moving, huh. Were you even planning on telling this to me?"  
>"It's not that I knew about it much sooner than you, you know..!" I snapped back at her, blushing a bit. I had to explain how everything happened, just so she'd actually understand the whole thing.<br>After that, we didn't talk about that subject until the last bell rang. I was starting to feel a bit sad, not knowing what to say. I knew what I was suppose to do, but I guess goodbyes were never easy, not even for me.

"Why are you so upset, dummy" She poked my arm with her elbow, grinning. "It's not like we will never meet again. We can still keep in touch through texts and emails, you know?" I nodded and smiled awkwardly. Even on moments like this, Ai-san had the talent of cheering me up, even in situations like this.  
>We decided that instead of going straight to our homes, going to the mall and having a small chat would do us good. After all, we wouldn't be able to do so for quite a while starting tomorrow.<br>It was almost 6 o'clock when we went to take the trains. We said our goodbyes and parted to different trains.

When I got home, one of the ladies-in-waiting, Ofuku, greeted me. I smiled sarcastically._'Of course today they aren't here'_. Ofuku hurriedly told me to go and finish packing whatsoever I haven't yet, even though I repeated around 5 times I did so already, she insisted that I should re-check my things just to be sure.  
>Finally having some time for myself after dismissing Ofuku, saying I wasn't feeling like eating dinner that night, I locked myself in the bedroom and checked my bags, to see if everything was really there.<br>It was 9 pm already when I finished gathering the rest of my stuff, I took one of my books out of the bag and started reading it. Because of that, I was able to distract myself from all the nervousness of moving and such, and without realizing, I fell asleep on the small couch in my bedroom.

**May's 15th, 2011.**

"Remember to thank your grandmother for everything, and don't you forget to follow her lessons" My father lectured me at the station. It was almost like he was speaking to a 5 years old, which annoyed me. All I did was nod and agree with everything he was saying; I knew that living with my grandmother would be basically living by myself, since she had a flowers shop, and when she was home she would be either cooking, lecturing me about the art of the arrangements or sleeping.

"Father, the train is about to depart so..."  
>"Oh. Well Anna, have a safe trip. Me and your mother will be praying that you'll become a fine young lady after spending a year at Inaba." I gave the best smile I could and waved at him as I entered the crowded wagon.<br>As soon as it was gone, though, I frowned. It's not that I was expecting a touchier goodbye, but still.. It'd be the last time we'd see each other during a whole year, and that's the best he could come up with?  
>Lucky mine, many people got out of the train before Yasogami Station, so I managed to find an empty seat near a young looking man, who appeared to be at his late 20's.<p>

"Um, excuse me" I asked. The man, who was distracted watching the view through the window got blinked surprised and mumbled something.  
>"I'm sorry for disturbing you" I bowed apologetically, noticing I probably woke him up or something. "But, is that seat empty?" He laughed clumsily and said yes, sitting up straight on his own seat so I could pass with my bags.<br>Looking through the window, I couldn't help but notice how the view was slightly changing from the dark gray of the province to the cleaner skies of the country part. I sighed nostalgically; I wonder if you can use internet in such an isolated place as Inaba. I blocked the silly thought from my mind and took a quick look at the man sitting in front of me with my eyes' corner. He now was on the phone, talking about something related to Mayumi Yamano's scandal, or something.  
>I think I saw something about it on TV... Oh, yeah! She was having an affair with an important figure from my province, Taro Namatame. <em>'But why would a citizen be worried about it?'<em>  
>I considered asking, but he was absent-minded in his call and I would most likely seem impertinent by doing so. And taking a better look, the way he dressed wasn't a really average citizen. Maybe he was from media?<p>

"Oh, haha.. I think I was speaking kinda loud" He smiled a little, looking at me. Just then I realized I've been staring, and quickly faced away from him.  
>"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude" I murmured. <em>'Nice one, Anna'<em>.  
>"Hey, that's fine! No need to be so formal" He shrugged casually. I guess I was accustomed with being formal to strangers, so I didn't really give much importance to it "The recent events about Yamano and that Namatame guy.. Because of that, everything around here's being a fuss" He explained himself. I nodded.<br>The stranger and I talked a bit about the recent events, until I finally heard the announcement that Yasogami Terminal would be the next parade. Then, we both stood up at the same time.  
>"So you're also going to Inaba" He smiled. "Well, good luck. The town will be kind of boring to a city girl such as yourself though, heh"<br>"I guess.. " I looked away again. That was kind of obvious, but I didn't want to be rude to someone so nice that I've just met.  
>As the train stopped, he helped my bags. I bowed at him, thanking for everything.<br>"Don't mention it." He smiled kindly, and I could feel my cheeks getting slightly hotter.

"Ah there you are, missy!" I heard a familiar voice approaching me. After that, the kind man went away, not even giving him the chance to tell me his name. I looked around and smiled a bit; My grandmother was standing there, with all the traditional glamour an old lady could have.  
>"Who were you talking to, Anna-chan? You do know that it's not okay at all for a girl at your position talk to men like that, and..."<br>"Grandmother, thank you very much" I bowed, cutting out her speech before she could keep with it in the middle of that place. "I will do my best during this year with you."  
>"That's good my child, I see your parents finally started teaching you proper manners.."<p>

After that, we took a taxi to her house. It was at an old part of Inaba, where you could only see a few other houses in a very traditional way. Anyone could say it was sort of a rich neighborhood, but for me, it was just a bunch of old manors.  
>She showed me the area as we arrived, which was next to another mannor, Ichijo's Tea House. <em>'Oh great, I'm back to the Edo era'<em> I let a soft sigh escape. My grandmother gave me a mean look but didn't say nothing, and carried on explaining how things would work for now on, but it was nothing that I didn't expect already, so just by showing her the 'necessary respect' was enough to make her stop with the explanations.

"As you know Anna-chan, you'll be attending to Yasogami High School"

So soon, I almost asked her to go back to explaining the house's rules. She said Yasogami High was nice with decent teachers, and since I enjoyed studying I'd do fine. I liked my grandmother, a lot, but I hated how she jumped into assumptions.  
>Two hours later when she finished telling me everything she was supposed to, we went to get some groceries at the Shop District. Of course I knew that all she wanted to do was to introduce me to the other ladies nearby, since she made me put a casual kimono. For now on, I was going to be just Saionji, the disciple of the great Saionji Hatsuka.<br>We walked from the textile shop, to the tofu shop. From south to north, a few people would comment and gossip about this and that. It was one of those moments when I felt the urge of just hiding somewhere and never get out.  
>Finally when my grandmother decided to do her shopping, she told me that I could take a look around the area, as long as I kept near.<p>

"*Sighs* Who does she think she's talking to.. As if someone could get lost in such a small place.." I babbled annoyed to myself.  
>"Having a tough time huh?" Suddenly someone cut what I was saying; He was my height, and had slight long gray hair, but because of his cap I couldn't see his face very well. Judging by the way he dressed, he was a clerk from the gas station.<br>"People from the big city usually dislike this place" He chuckled. I felt myself blushing and as soon as I was going to apologize, the clerk kept talking in a casual tone. "It's not that it's bad though; You can always distract yourself with books, school and such. Part time jobs are also offered here you know" he smiled.  
>"I might take a look at those" I said lowly, nodding at him. It was kind of fun the way he described things that were my main distractions; maybe I fit the country part profile after all.<br>"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss" He offered a handshake. We shook hands as I heard my grandmother calling my name, making me turn back at him to see where she was coming from.  
>"Oh look at the time, I have to go. Farewell, Anna.. We shall meet again."<p>

How did he know my name? I blinked in surprise. I wanted to ask him, but when I turned back, he wasn't there anymore. _'Who is this person..?'_ I rubbed my forehead.  
>"Oh darling, having such a puzzled face will give you expression marks." Grandmother gave a light slap on my hand, and I nodded quickly, snapping out of it.<br>"Tell me, Anna-chan, what are your thoughts of Inaba so far?"  
>My thoughts of it...<br>"People here seem to be very kind" I muttered, and for the first time of the day, grandmother smiled.  
>"You'll get used to living here and you won't even notice. Come now, let us go back."<p>

After eating our dinner, I excused myself to my room. I knew tomorrow would be another stressful day starting at my new school, so all I did was take a long, relaxing bath and get my futon ready in my new bedroom. While I stared at the ceiling, the thoughts running through my head were too many to distinguish: I was going to start a brand new life. Nobody there knew me, and I was the type who could come and go from places without being noticed. That, if my grandmother didn't make me wear a blossom flower kimono in the middle of the day.  
>Sighing, I buried my face against the pillow. I felt like crying; not for any particular reason. Suddenly my feelings and my thoughts were making a commotion inside my mind, and that just made me feel bad. Lonely, mostly. But I decided to ignore them. I don't need such things, being that I'm used to them already.<br>'It'll be just another common year' I closed my eyes hard. 'People come and go, and I won't need to bother with them' I sighed again, settling everything inside my head.

I had no idea of the events that my new life would proportionate for me though...


	3. Chapter 2 - Yasogami High School

**Author Note:** Starting today, I get a bit into persona events. The team already rescued Yukiko. I know my dates aren't 100% exact; Though please bare with me on that. Also the weather will change according to my own events, but I'll do my best to follow the main plot and don't do anything silly. I also decided to change the dates I've mentioned, so instead of April, the story starts on May. ;v;

**May's 16th, 2011.**

My grandmother was already at her flowers shop. When I woke up, I dressed myself with Yasogami High's uniform and took a quick look at the mirror. _'Eh, can't be helped'_. I brushed my long dark hair and tied part of it in two pigtails. After I picked my bag, I didn't bother cooking for breakfast, knowing that since I'd have to walk to school I could be late.  
>You could say Yaso-High looks just like an average school. Many students arrived by the time they were closing the gates, so it was pretty much the usual stuff. The 2nd floor was just as my previous school, but slightly smaller. I was about to knock the door, when I heard the students gossiping.<p>

"Did you hear? We've got another transferred student!"  
>"Oh really? I hope it's a girl this time!"<br>"Geez, is that all you can think about?"

"Seems like rumors spread fast here"

I looked down as if to hide my face. I shook my head fast and took a deep breath; I had to just get on with it, wanting it or not, today was my first day. And in small cities like Inaba, it's just common that a transferred student becomes kind of a big deal. After repeating that to myself, I knocked at the door. A weird man, wearing a blue suit greeted me. His face was... something I've never seen before. I guess ugly was too nice to describe him... I suppose he was my teacher, so I just followed him til we were standing in front of the black board.

"Shut up, you little brats" The man yelled. Instantly, all of the students stopped talking. Then, the teacher pointed at me. "This girl here just got transferred from Nakahara High. Now go on and introduce yourself, I don't have all the time of the world for you, slow thing!"

I glared at him, speechless, which made him tap his foot. I sighed, getting a bit annoyed, and gave one of my usual 'welcoming' smiles at the class, bowing formally.  
>"My name is Saionji Anna. It's a pleasure to meet you all."<p>

Then there was the silence. That moment seemed to last forever; Though it didn't take more than a few seconds for the teacher yell at me again, telling me to sit on a chair next to a silver haired boy. I could hear the gossips starting again. Some were good, some were neutral. Some were even happy for having a new girl in the class, but what bothered me the most is that the two girls sitting in front of me said.

"I heard from my mother"  
>"Oh yeah? Granddaughter of Saionji Hatsuka? No wonder she acts so formal!"<p>

I sighed again. I couldn't change the fact that my grandmother's store was something big in this stupid place, though I wasn't expecting people to actually know about it. I looked at my left; A silver-haired boy sat there, staring at me. I raised a brow, and he gave a half smile.  
>"You'll need some notes for this class" He then landed me some papers. I took them and nodded, muttering a low 'thanks'. There was something about him; like I've met him before; Though of course it wasn't that, and I was pretty sure I'd have remembered.<br>But in the end, he was right. The teacher, known as 'King Moron' (suits him well), was explaining some topics that I've already seen in my previous school. Though I'd need the notes to keep up the class' reports. After that we had history and maths class, so nothing out of extraordinary.  
>Finally on lunch break, I decided to take a look on my phone and text Ai-san, just to let her know I 'survived' part of my first day.<p>

"Hey! Saionji, right?"

When I just finished sending my text, I was startled by the brunette standing next my chair. He was somewhat tall, and had orange headphones around his neck.

"I'm Hanamura Yosuke. Nice to meet ya" He smiled cheerfully. I tried my best to smile back at him, though I was actually a bit surprised because of his sudden approach.  
>"Dumbass, you're already creeping around the new girl?" A short haired girl shouted, getting in front of him and crossing her arms. "Sorry for his bad moods, he's probably excited that our class got another transferred student. Anyways, my name is Satonaka Chie, and this" she said, pointing at the girl wearing a red coat "is Amagi Yukiko." I smiled at both of them, but something she said intrigued me.<br>"Hello... Um, another transferred student?" I asked, puzzled.  
>"Yeah!" Hanamura replied. "That guy is also from the big city. Oh, so am I, and.."<p>

I looked where he was pointing, and there was the guy from before. He didn't stand out much, and just waved at me.  
>"I'm Narukami Yu" He said as he joined us.<br>I nodded at them. The lunch time went by and the five of us kept with the chit-chat for a while; Mostly they asked from which part of the big city I was, how it was.

"Oh, so you moved to help at your family business! You see Anna-san, I also moved because of that y'know~" Yosuke bragged around. Chie glared at him and cut his speech about Junes. It was actually fun to see how both of them got along so well.

"But anyways...You're Saionji Hatsuka-san's granddaughter, right?"  
>I nodded my head, feeling a bit hesitant as Yukiko spoke. Looking away, I mumbled in reply that I just recently moved to live with her.<br>"I see. I did see you yesterday with her then."  
>"Oh yeah! Yukiko's family owns an Inn." Chie said. "Your grandmother is really something there, y'know? The flowers decorations and everything else.. Pretty cool!"<br>And suddenly, Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko were talking about it.  
>I know they meant no harm with that, but honestly it was being a pain. The only one who had the decency of avoid it was Narukami, probably because he noticed how awkward I was.<br>"Bell's gonna ring, it'll King Moron's classes again" He spoke, as if to interrupt all of that. I gave a relieved smile at him as to thank him for that. "Don't mention it" he whispered in response.  
>The rest of the day followed in a slow pace. Occasionally, Narukami talked to me about some lessons, and asked if I got everything with my own notes. <em>'It's nice that someone's trying to help me I guess..'<em>; It was somewhat ironic. the fact that I swore I wouldn't bother talking to people, because they'd annoy me and weren't necessary around. It's truth that when it comes down to talk about grandmother's business, that was REALLY something annoying. And it makes me disappointed that in less than 30 minutes I would have to go back for my first day of practicing.

The last bell rang, and it took me a bit to snap out of my complaints. I was ready to go, when I heard someone calling my name.

"Hey there Saionji, where you think you're going?" Yosuke said on his, apparently common, cheerful way.  
>"We're going to hang out a bit at Junes, why don't you join us?" Narukami asked.<p>

I blinked, surprised. _'Why are they asking me..?'_ I shook my head and declined politely.

"Aw, why not?" Chie asked.  
>"You'll get to see around, it'll be fun Anna-san" Yukiko said.<p>

I didn't want to explain why exactly without mentioning again my grandmother's shop. So I just made up a quick excuse, saying I'd have to help at home and still unpack some stuff. I apologized again, and headed outside. They passed next to me and waved. Narukami stood by my side as if he wanted to say something, but didn't know how to.

"Next time then-" We both said at the same time. He chuckled awkwardly, and I nodded at him.

"Yeah, next time" I said.

"...You're doing it wrong, Anna-chan! It's your third time arranging those lilies, and you keep doing the same mistakes!"  
>My grandmother snapped at me. I nodded quickly and ignored her yelling at me, starting over again. Today I'd have to keep her company at the flowers store. And of course, she made me do all kinds of decorations over and over due to my lack of skills.<br>It was almost 7 o'clock when costumers finally stopped coming. She dismissed me saying she would close the store by herself. It was all for today's lesson.

"Lesson, huh.." I mumbled to myself, as I threw myself on the large couch and turned on the tv.

"As a result for his affairs, Taro Namatame was fired from the role of council secretary. After Yamano's death, the police department of Inaba committed to find the culprit as soon as possible, though they do not reveal essential informations. And now, the weather: Tonight, we expect the rain to last until the early morning, though we will have a bright weather for the following week..."  
>"Ah, that guy from before told me about it!"<p>

But, her death..? No wonder people are making a fuss over it, the woman died after all. I was getting carried away in my own thoughts about the news, when I heard the footsteps from my grandmother walking in the hall.

"Oh, Anna-chan, there you are" She made a brief pause to take off her sandals. Maybe it wasn't a nice idea to ask to her, but still, my curiosity caught me.

"Grandmother, could you tell me a bit of what happened to Mayumi Yamano?"  
>"Well..." She began, looking at the clock. "There is nothing really important to know about it. Her body was found hanging from the antenna and.."<p>

_'And you call THAT not important?'_

"..in the end, the same girl who found her was found dead, hanging from another antenna. Nowadays you must be careful my child, because things like this are..."

No wonder there was a huge commotion going on. Someone killed two victims already, in such a small town? Obviously it was something to worry about. No wonder that guy from the train was so worried about his job. Maybe he was really from the media then.

"I'll go get some rest now, so go ahead and eat something you'd like. Remember to go to bed early, your lessons will continue tomorrow" She finished, taking her way up stairs.

I sighed and nodded, snapping out from my theories. _'I guess I'll go now, there's nothing on tv anymore'_  
>I went to cook some ramen for myself since my grandmother would probably wake up by the time I'd be in bed.<br>After promising I wouldn't spill ramen on my desk just so she would let me eat alone in my bedroom, I got everything ready to have some time for myself in my new bedroom. As I sat there, I glanced at the window; The rain didn't give any signs it would stop, but it was very weak and could barely be heard.

"It is somewhat relaxing" I smiled to myself as I ate. The noise of the rain was the only thing that could be heard in the room; And that made me feel relieved for the first time since I got in Inaba. I was used to being alone; It was easy, and I didn't have to force myself to smile at others, or even try to keep following Ai-san's advice on being more social and make new friends.  
>" 'It'll be good for you, dummy' Pf. Ai-san, you.. Ah!" I remembered to text Ai-san to tell her how my day was. I typed quickly on my phone, commenting that I even talked with a few class mates.<br>It was cool to chat with her on the phone, though she had to leave for her extra classes that were during the night time, and that left me alone with my own thoughts.  
>Since it was getting late, so I decided to take a quick shower, then read a bit in my futon before sleeping, predicting that tomorrow would be just a full day like this one, that was ending.<br>_'Maybe I can fool grandmother and skip those lessons..'_ I yawned, exhausted. The previous night and tonight as well I felt bad; For some reason, it was being slightly harder than usual to block all the awful feelings and thoughts lately.  
>Again, I closed my eyes hard and forced myself to sleep, deciding to keep ignoring the bad feelings through my mind.<p>

At the time, I thought the only reason for that was because of me moving to Inaba and having to start a new life; Though there was much more than that for me to find out...


	4. Chapter 3 - Life in Inaba

**Author Notes - **I havent updated this in while, so I hope that I can still do everything correctly ^^" Please enjoy!

PS.: When I first started writing this, P4G wasn't released. It's fun how my character resembles Marie in so many ways, it actually unmotivates me a bit to keep writing this. Oh well! .

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><p><strong>June 7th, 2011.<strong>

Three weeks went by since I moved to Inaba, and I havent done nothing else besides going from school, to the flowers store, and then home. That was my daily routine, and I was already sick of it. During the night time, I had strange dreams, and sometimes even trouble with falling asleep. My head spinned, and I had feelings I've never felt before... Nostalgia, almost. Though, I couldn't remember of what, or who, for that matter.

What bothered me was the dream (or nightmare) I had the previous night. Everything was very blurry and I could barely distinguish everything around me. I was in the middle of a dense fog, in a place that Ive never seen before. At first, I thought it was like an shrine, but, could it be? The only thing I can remember was a familiar voice, constantly calling my name.

Lucky mine though, my grandmother had let me apply to a part time job during a night shift, as long as I kept my good grades and dedicated more to the flowers arrangements. Itd be very easy, since all Id have to do was to help dealing and arranging some paperwork at the Police Station. It was near my house, so it was perfect.

Now it was time for another dayat YasoHigh. Today my grandmother would be giving an interview to the local TV station. Due to the Amagi Inn's recent popularity, I guess it was only natural for the flowers store to get more visitors as well. What bothered me was the fact that if I got home, Id have to be part of a stupid documentary of flowers or some silly thing like that. _'So if I have to pick between forcing myself being a bit social with some classmates and talking about flowers wearing a kimono, I definitely pick the first one'_.

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><p>The day flew by as usual. I had to stand King Moron's lecture, but having I managed to talk a bit with Narukami and the others once in a while during classes.<p>

As the final bell rang, Narukami stood up next to my chair as Chie and the others headed towards the door.

"So we finally get to go out, huh?" He chuckled as I got up. I nodded shyly while we walked, not really knowing what to say. Narukami was good in telling whenever I got awkward, because he started making conversation so casually that I forgot my timid self a little.

"Hey you two, don't take too long!" Chie yelled, waving at us. Yukiko giggled and added "Yosuke-kun is treating us today. A special thing since Anna-san is coming with us!"

"W-what? Is that really.." I started, but Yosuke interrupting me.

"I said I'm treating some small stuff, no big deal!" He rubbed his forehead. "Geez you girls..."

I pouted and looked away, feeling embarrassed. During the way I didn't talk much, even though I was paying attention to their chit chat. Yukiko, who's been gone from school for a few days seemed fully recovered. And also, more cheerful as well.

"...Yeah, now that we're here, what would you like,Saionji?" Yosuke said as we got at Junes food court. I shrugged, saying just a soda would be fine.

As he went to get everything with Narukami, I sat next to Yukiko and Chie.

"Anna-san, are you liking Inaba?" Chie asked.

"It's not as bad as I thought it'd be." I said, making both of them laugh a bit.

"I heard the flowers shop is going to host a small interview, isn't it? Your Inn had it too, right Yukiko?"

"Oh, yeah. It was last month, I'm glad it's over though." Yukiko nodded. _'Yukiko seems just as tired of_ _that kind of stuff'_. "Is it going to be any time soon, Anna-san?"

"Um, it's probably already happening. " I said quietly.

"Shouldn't you be there, too, then?"

"No" I shook my head. I didn't want to go any further on that, and luckily, Narukami and Hanamura were back just in time. We kept talking for a bit more, and it was relaxing. Yosuke and Chie were, most of the time, disagreeing with each other. Though they seemed to get along so well, I couldn't help but smiling seeing those two.

"They really are something" I giggled quietly. Yukiko did as well and agreed. I felt eyes on me, and turning right I noticed Narukami's eyes locked on mine now. For just a few seconds, I felt like I was back to that nightmare again. I could _feel_ the atmosphere changing, and the same voice calling my name slowly started fading in, and Narukami getting lost in the fog.

"..na-san?" I heard one of the girls calling my name. I finally snapped out of it, and the four of them were looking at me. Narukami, however, had a worried expression.

_'I wonder if he saw it too...?' _

"Hey Anna-san, come on!" Yosuke shouted.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry. What is it?" I cleaned my throat, smiling the best I could.

"Where do you want to go next, Anna-san?" Yukiko asked, smiling as well. I'd have to get used with Yukiko looking just like a host everytime.

"Why do I get to pick?" I questioned, raising my eyebrow. In fact, I was still confused about what just happened, even though Narukami was already back to his usual self.

"Because you are our guest of honor, Saionji!" Chie laughed. I blushed at her statement and thought a bit.

"Well,I... I'm sure this would be boring for you guys, but I was actually planning on checking the eltronics department. I need to get myself a laptop" I said. I was careless enough to forget my computer at my parents' house, and now I'd have to deal with the consequences.

They seemed a bit surprised at first, giving each other puzzled looks. Noticing I was waiting, Yosuke said that'd be fine, even offering to show me some models.

What I really wanted though, was to ask Narukami about before. Though I guess it wouldn't be possible, for now at least.

* * *

><p>We stayed at Junes' eletronics departments for a while. It was fun, Yosuke played to be a seller while Chie and Yukiko (who mostly just laughed) made fun of him. While walking around, I saw this big flat screen TV, which caught my interest. It wouldn't be bad having one of these at Grandmother's house, it'd make everything less boring.<br>As I ran my fingertips lightly on the TV's edge, I felt a strong - yet gentle hand grabbing my wrist.

I gaspped in surprise, and when I looked up, I saw Narukami staring at me. His expression was serious, and he held onto my wrist for a bit before letting it go, giving me an apologetic look.

We stayed in silence for a while; it seemed that both of us were, again, searching for the right thing to say.

"Look, Saionji..." He started. "About what happened before, I-"

_'so did he see it too..?'_

I was going to ask him, but Yosuke and the others were back. Yukiko said she'd have to get going now, since she needed to help at the Inn. Chie would walk her home, so they said their farewells as well as Yosuke. Then, Narukami and I were left alone again.

"Um.. I should get going too" I said, looking at my phone.

"Helping at the flowers shop?"

I shook my head and we both laughed a bit. During my weeks here in Inaba, I've seen Narukami a few times at the Shopping district, and he'd always pass by the store to say hi. There was a time my grandmother gave him a glare, and since then he made a couple jokes of it, just between us.

"Um, actually I.. I'm going to start at a part time job tonight."

"I can walk you home, if you want" He suggested.

For some reason, the thought of it made me blush a bit, but I said I'd pass. I didn't want to give Narukami any trouble, knowing his house was far from the Shop District. Plus, even though I was still curious about earlier, I'd rather just pretend nothing happened. I think Narukami got it, and all we did was say a quick good bye and part to different ways.

* * *

><p>I knew something was off when I saw a Van with a TV station logo stopped by the flowers shop. I couldn't believe those people would still be there. And it was confirmed when I entered the shop, and some ladies and a cameraman were there with Grandmother, who looked very content. <em><br>_

"Oh, Anna-chan, just in time!" Grandmother almost shouted. "This is my granddaughter. Anna-chan, darling, please go change to a better outfit"

"But, I thought I.." I started, but was abruptly interrupted by one of the TV ladies.

"Oh dear, that'd be great. We interviewed the Amagi Inn's heir, and now the Saionji Flower Shop heir. Not bad huh? What about you my dear, wouldn't a lovely young lady like you enjoy appearing on the TV?"

Of course nobody really give me time to reply, and my grandmother made me change to my kimono and head downstairs again.

What happened after that couldn't possibly be more annoying. It was a sequel of questions to my grandmother, and then forcing _me_ to show some of the flowers arrangements, and even making me do one. After a tiring hour, they finally left.

My grandmother realized how annoyed I was, but all she did was pat me on the back.

"If you don't make a better face sweetheart, you'll never become a true capable lady to take care of the Ikebana one day."

"As if I wanted that" I muttered very quietly, almost whispering. She didn't notice and went upstairs.

I sighed. People in Inaba must be _that_ bored to even have shows that talk about flowers and inns. Checking my phone again, I was just in time to go change again and leave to the Police Station. And if I was lucky enough, I wouldn't be late for my first day.

* * *

><p>"Hmm, Saionji. Please go to office 07, Tohru will be needing your help with some papers. As you know, the Yamano case is giving us some work, heh.."<p>

A short, white haired old man explained me this and that. He was the head officer of the Inaba station, and he looked glad to have an extra helping hand. Even after weeks, the Yamano case was being stressful due to the fact that nobody could find a single clue about her murderer, especially now that Namatame had an alibi.

Entering the office, it was nothing out of usual; it had a desk, two computers, some files... Nothing you wouldn't expect at a Police Office. The guy who I'm supposed to work with wasn't there yet, so the head officer just told me to make myself 'home' on the opposite side of the desk and put the files in alphabetical order.

I got so distracted with those files I didn't notice a tall man standing right in front of me until he spoke.

"Hey there! I'm Tohru Adachi" He offered a handshake. I quickly got up and we shook hands.

"Saionji Anna" I felt embarrassed at first for not realizing he was there before. But taking a better look at him, I immediately recognized who it was. I guess he noticed too, because he smiled even more, chuckling.

"We meet again, huh? Hows it going?" He asked as both sat down, going back to the paperworks. I had the familiar feeling again, but it was probably because we met once at the train.

"Um.. It's going." I said. We both laughed a little. Working would be better since I had someone like him around.

Adachi and I got into work, but he'd occasionally say this or that. I guess it was easy for people around me to notice if I was feeling awkward or overwhelmed by my shyness... Though, like Narukami, I enjoyed Tohru's company. They were both easier to talk to than the others, so the work was easy with someone like that.

"So you're working at your grandmothers flower shop, huh? Wow, that sounds pretty cool!" He said, during our pause. I nodded a bit and just took a sip of my coffee. _'If only he knew how ''fun'' it is...'_

"I know, if only I knew how fun it is." He said, rubbing his chin and frowning a bit. I almost choked on my coffee, staring at him. How would he know that?

"Oh, haha, don't worry. Before, when I lived in my hometown, I used to help my dad at his store. I used to hate it" He said casually. I just listened to his story, about how life in his old province was boring, which also motivated him to become a Detective. The more he talked, the more I sympathized with him; Breaking away from what someone wanted him to be, to be who he really wanted to. It was something that I'd like to do.

In the end, the four hours I'd spend there went by so quickly, it was already 10pm. Adachi offered to walk me home, since his apartment was on the way. I felt hesitant for a moment.

"Oh it's alright! But after those murderers cases and all, I guess it'd be kinda dangerous for a girl to walk around by herself at this time" He said, scratching behind his neck. I thought about it for a moment, and he was right. I wasn't really scared though... Inaba is a small place, plus the incidents stopped already, according to the news. But Tohru insisted, and I ended up agreeing with him. _'What could happen anyways?'_

* * *

><p>"...Ryotaro Dojma?"<p>

"Yeah, he's my boss. Well, we work together" Adachi paused. I laughed a bit. What a coincidence, Narukami's uncle was actually working with Torhu... Inaba really is a tiny place. "Narukami seems like a good kid, you guys are friends?"

"We are classmates." I stated. For the most that I do enjoy talking to Narukami and even the others, I still couldn't be open or even like them enough to consider any of them friends. Adachi chuckled and didn't ask nothing more; There were us, in front of the flowers store. My grandmother left some lights on for me, since the shopping district at that time was poorly illuminated.

I looked at him and gave a brief bow, thanking him for taking me home and also for being patient with me at work. When I looked up, Adachi was smiling - no, grinning actually. He didn't say nothing, and for some reason I felt the atmosphere change from the pleasant conversation we were having to something completely different; which I couldn't really distinguish.

_"...it's coming.."_

_"get back..."_

_"Iza..."_

Everything happened so quickly, that I didn't realize I was already in Tohru Adachi's arms. I could hear his voice calling my name, but faintly. When I woke up, I was already inside the flowers store, and he was next to me, with a worried expression.

"Saionji, are you alright?" He asked as I got up. I nodded quickly, not knowing what really happened. "You fainted outside, and your keys fell off your pocket. So I brought you here" Adachi explained. Though I could barely focus on his voice, because my head felt heavy. _'What was that?'_ I questioned myself countless times.

"Er.. Well I guess I'll get going. I've heard Hatsuka-san is a severe woman, so I don't want to bring you any trouble" He said, getting up and going to the entrance door. I got up as well and walked him to the door.

"Tohru-san" I muttered. He looked back, but I stayed quiet for a moment. God knew how embarrassed I felt for what just happened, especially with someone that has been being kind with me since when I first got in this place. "I just.. I.. Sorry." I managed to say. Adachi however, laughed a little and shrugged.

"Better watch yourself next time. Night, Saionji" He said smiling, and continued walking. I kept watching him until he vanished in the dark. I closed the entrance door and headed up, making little noises as possible not to wake my grandmother. I couldn't even bother taking a shower, all I wanted, and _needed_ to do was lay down and get some rest.

* * *

><p>When I laid in bed, I finally started calming down. It couldn't be something normal, hearing the same voice in my dreams, at Junes and just now. Maybe it was the stress of school and the flowers shop... Maybe the fact that I've been being so annoyed, especially because of grandmother's appearance on that documentary. Whatever it was though, I wanted it to stop. I quickly texted Ai telling her about my new job and turned to the other side, focusing on the quiet rain's sounds.<p>

It took me at least thirty minutes to fall asleep. There were so much things inside my mind, so many confusing thoughts, I felt suffocated almost. I had similar sensations on the first few days I gothere, but they eventually went away - and this was for sure much worse. I thought I heard the TV's statics, but I ignored that and eventually everything went blank: Exactly how I wanted it to be.

I fell fast asleep, deep into the calm dark realm of my head.. Which eventually led me to that voice again, trapped in a place where I couldn't escape...


	5. Chapter 4 - Mayonaka TV

**Author Notes:** Last chapter I completely forgot of something. i hope it wont be too late to mention it on this chapter. Finally getting somewhere interesting though, so hopefully, I did a decent job with this chapter. ."

* * *

><p><em>. . .<em>

_"You're here... I've been waiting for you.."_

_'Where am I..?'_

Everything was completely surrounded by the thick fog, and nothing besides a few red lights could be seen from afar. I only knew the voice was closer to me. Something was getting closer and closer to me, and for some reason, I was urging for it. I felt something on my hand - I couldn't see what it was though, as it soon vanished when I tried to do so.

_"Do not be afraid, after all... You and I are.."_

...

"No!"

"Wake up missy, you won't want to miss this!"

* * *

><p><strong>June 8th, 2011.<strong>

It was barely Six AM. The weather was rather cold, probably because of the rain that lasted all night. It was gray outside, and sort of foggy as well. I was woken up by my grandmother, who made me dress quickly and head to the living room.

"Grandmother, there's almost 2 hours before my school starts, I don't even.." I mumbled, trying to adjust my ponytails. My grandmother glared at me and told me to sit down and be quiet as she turned on the TV.

"Hello, all! We're here to our second 'Inaba Pride' special! Today, we have the honor of getting to know more about the art of the flowers arrangements with the great Saionji Hatsuka-sama~"  
>I couldn't believe what I was watching: It was what they filmed last night. For about fifteen minutes, I kept watching the reporter interviewing my grandmother. I could feel my hands shake a bit from my nervousness, and couldn't help but let out a small exclamation when I knew what was coming next.<br>"Now, now, we have a surprise~! With us, the lovely Saionji heir, who will in future inherit an Ikebana house at the main Province. Hello my young lady, tell us what you think of the art of the arrangements. Next, could you show us a bit of your work?"  
>My grandmother looked so hyper watching me on the TV, almost struggling with all that. As for me, though, I felt like it couldn't get worse than that. I needed to get out of there, and thank god it didn't last as long as I thought it would. In forty minutes the show was finally over. My grandmother went to the kitchen, still in a happy mood, making comments on how her shop would get even more costumers because of that.<br>I wonder if people at school saw it too. Probably not, who would wake up this early and go watch TV on a school day? I tried to comfort myself with that and headed out, not even bothering with grandmother calling me to have breakfast.

* * *

><p>"Do you guys really think so? But it just happened with Kanji-kun, and..."<br>"Well but we all saw something last night, right? What do you think, Narukami?" Chie said in a low tone.  
>"I have a bad feeling about it, so we should keep an eye out just in case."<p>

_'An eye out for what..?'_

I started paying more attention to their conversation. I couldn't get much of what they said since they were speaking so low, but I'm sure I heard something about the 'Mayonaka TV'.  
>According to rumors, in a rainy night if you stood in front of your TV, your soulmate would appear in it. I thought it was silly, and now funny since Narurkami and the others were all talking about how they saw Tatsumi Kanji on it, some guy from bike gangs, on it.<br>I raised my head and stretched a bit. They all turned at me at once and stopped talking about it, giving me the usual 'good mornings'. I raised my eyebrow - that was an uncommon reaction.

"Good morning, everyone" I said quietly. Maybe they were talking about something important? "I'm sorry for interrupting" I said in advance before they replied.

"It's okay, Anna-san!" Yosuke said, looking as casual as possible. "It was nothing important, really"  
>"Oh, Anna-san, congrats!" Yukiko said. I looked at her, puzzled, and didn't really understand what she meant with that.<br>"Oh yeah, Yukiko, I saw it too" Chie complimented, making me freeze. They saw it. "You looked very cool on the show, Anna-san!"  
>"Aww man, did I miss it?" Yosuke crossed his arms, jokingly.<br>"It'll probably be on the TV again later tonight, like Yukiko's" Chie nodded. "But, hey! Don't go around being a creep just so you can see her in a kimono, Yosuke!" She slapped Yosuke's arms. Yukiko laughed at them, and their jokes soon started.

I kept staring blankly at them. I just wish I could hide in a place where nobody would think of this as such a big deal. Even though Inaba wasn't bad, at that moment, I was hating it.

"Saionji," I heard Narukami say, as he put his hand on my shoulder. "it's not a big deal. They won't even remember of it by tomorrow." He said, as if assuring me it'd be ok. I glared at him.  
>"Did you see it, too?" I asked, almost whispering; a bad habit of mine, when I was too nervous my voice wouldn't come out.<br>Narukami shook his head, saying he wasn't up in time to. It made me a bit relieved that Yu didn't see it. It was embarrassing enough for the trio to see and keep talking about it, I wouldn't want Narukami to either.

After King Moron entered in the room, everyone went silent. The classes went by very slowly, and for the first time I was glad to have Morooka talking non stop about his values and stuff.  
>I'd occasionally hear Yosuke whispering something for Narukami; it bugged me, however I couldn't say what it was. All I knew was that Narukami had a concerned expression, and in the end he said they'd meet with the Tatsumi guy later today.<br>_'Hm, maybe he's the type that likes biker gangs?'_ I giggled to myself, not being able to imagine Narukami doing that.

* * *

><p>By the end of the day, it was raining again. Narukami and the others left as soon as the bell rang, and by what I could see, the four of them were going to talk to that Tatsumi guy. I looked around; there was nothing left to do at school, so I just took my way out heading back to the Manor.<p>

Even if I was walking as fast as I could, it was annoying because of the rain, causing that weird fog. For a moment, I even thought I saw a van near the flowers store. I was already starting to worry, but that one didn't have the TV logo. I presumed it was just there to shop some groceries, so I headed straight home.

"Today I won't need your help at the store, Anna-chan. Apparently costumers only came during morning time while it wasn't raining, and since you've been such a sweetie yesterday you'll have the day off." Grandmother said as she greet me. I just nodded at her and went to the living room. It was somewhat early, and I had nothing to do. I texted Ai-chan for a while, but then I decided to go do some studyings in my room.

The rain didn't give and signs it'd stop. So maybe, I'd have the chance to check what Yosuke was talking about before. That'd be something interesting, so now I was looking forward to it. I almost forgot I had work today, so I'd better not miss it.  
>My head felt a bit heavy, thus I decided to go take a nap before getting ready to go.<p>

_..._

_"Anna.."_

_"The time is approaching.. Soon..."_

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Tohru-san" I bowed for the third time.<p>

I over slept, so as results I was almost one hour late for work. The head officer wasn't there, but still, when I got there Adachi was already doing my part of the work.

"Nothing wrong with that, Saionji!" He said, giving me his kind smile. I felt my cheeks getting hot and I shook my head fast, bowing once again before sitting down.

"This is only my second day and I'm already late, there is no excuse" I sighed, starting to get some paperwork done. Adachi shrugged, saying again there was nothing for me to worry about.

"You're even lucky, Saionji" He commented as we worked together. "Dojima-san just left, and he wasn't pleased at all because of what happened about the biker gang dude"

"Um, what about it?"

"Well, Tatsumi's been missing for a few days after Dojima-san tried talking to him. We don't know exactly what happened, but he looked so irrated on the news and.."

_'Oh right, Tatsumi appeared on the news last week! Why'd Narukami even want to talk to that guy then..?'_

"Why am I even thinking about-" I let escape, but I quickly covered my mouth with one hand. Adachi gave me a confused look.  
>After that, he finished telling me that after a few days, Tatsumi was found and everything went back to normal. There were even some rumors about him being involved in Yamano's cases, but they were easily discarded. <em>'Well, even being in a biker gangs, I guess being involved with murderers is way too much for a high schooler..'<em>.

* * *

><p>Adachi and I managed to finish everything a bit before the expected time, so we agreed to just call it a night. He offered to walk home with me again, and this time I accepted it without questioning much. Today was a weird, and hard day for me, and having Tohru's company was distracting me.<p>

While we walked, the rain started to get stronger and stronger, making a thick fog form around the area. It was getting colder too, so when we got at the manor, I insisted for him to wait til the rain would at least calm down a bit.

"It's the least I can do," I explained, bringing some towels for us. I knew my grandmother would want to kill me if she knew there was a man here. But it was just a co-worker, someone that's been kind to me a few times already. So I might as well return the favor "would you like something to drink, Tohru-san?" I asked, and couldn't help but remember that I was acting just like Yukiko does, being all formal-like once again.

"Not really, Saionji" He said, smiling. I nodded and sat on another chair, not knowing what to say. Both of us stayed like that for a moment, just resting after rushing so much, until something broke the silence.

A strong lightning stroke, making Torhu and I jump from our seats. He went to check on it, and a couple minutes later he came back, saying the same lightning made a tree fall. Even though it was just that, I still had an uneasy sensation, that bad feeling once more, and I was hoping what happened last night wouldn't happen now, especially with Tohru here, again.

It didn't really look like the rain would stop any time soon, so he said he'd get going now, which almost made me sigh in relief. _'Now, I can just go to my bedroom and get some rest..'_

I lend him my umbrella, since he didn't have one, and walked to the door with him, not letting Tohru notice how I was feeling.

"Well Saionji, see ya tomorrow at work" He said as he opened the umbrella. I just nodded at him and watched him leave, almost disappearing into the night.

"Bye, Tohru-san" I waved at his back, sighing because of the tiring and heavy feeling I had - not just my body, but my head mostly. I was ready to close the door, but he looked back and me; and even now that the area was completely surrounded by the fog and the rain, his eyes were hypnotizing me almost. That presence I felt before, in my nightmare, I could feel it too; I wonder what it was, and why would that be happening now.

"Just call me Adachi" He said, and continue walking and made me snap out of my reverie. If it wasn't so dark, I could swear he was grinning, though I couldn't affirm that... Though I knew for sure that, this time, my face was more than just a little hot.

* * *

><p>I took a long bath and managed to relax. My head didn't hurt anymore, and I guess all those weird sensations I've been having lately were nothing more than fatigue. Now what was left to do was just sit back and wait, comfortably reading my book. Looking outside, the rain was almost as strong as before, and I was glad that I didn't even feel uneasy.<p>

**June 9th, 2011. - _Midnight._**

Finally, midnight. I was half unconscious for the fact that I've fallen asleep moments before, with my eyes heavy just like my body.

_"..I.. am a God..."_

_"..the time has come... Wake up..."_

. . .

'_That voice..?' _

Suddenly, I woke up. My room was completely dark, except from the lights coming from the static TV in front of me. I gasped in surprise and got up, moving closer to the TV. I felt slightly scared, but I couldn't bring myself out of that trance; After a few seconds, the image changed, thus bringing a form to the static screen.

"I.. But how's this even possible..?" I whispered to myself, stepping back. I felt astonished as I saw my own siluet appear on the screen. On the TV, I just stood there, still. After no more than a couple minutes, it was gone.

I was breathing heavily and tried to think logically: Maybe this show is part of that TV channel that has been here yesterday. _'How could it be, though? The TV was off...' _

I felt uneasy, and needed to get out of there, and even feeling dizzy, I went downstairs to get some water. I couldn't stop thinking about what I've seen, and the most I tried to block those thoughts, the more I couldn't. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes hard - as I opened them, all I could see was the fog surrounding me.

My vision got completely blurry and eventually, I passed out.

* * *

><p>I didn't know what happened, nor where was I.. Not even if I was hurt, or not.<br>School, work, the store, friends and family... _Do any of those things really mattered to me_? All I wanted now, was to fall asleep again; I wouldn't mind anymore to be trapped in the dark, where I could no longer be bothered, heard, or seen...


End file.
